


A Weekend a Month

by Blinded_HP



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 23:28:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4644090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blinded_HP/pseuds/Blinded_HP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He never thought that the problem could actually lie with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Weekend a Month

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic written for the Snarryglompfest 2015 in reply to Prompt #1

**Title:** A Weekend a Month   
**Prompt:** Prompt One: Snape is all alone except for a stray dog that defends him and that he can’t get rid of. Eventually he gets together with Harry (How is up to you) and the power shifts between them as Snape becomes more social: eventually Draco joins them. It can be a threesome or not. Snape chooses Draco. He can be cruel, oblivious or well meaning as long as it’s in character. When Harry leaves, the dog goes with him, loyal to Harry now. Lots of very Harry whimper, but a happy ending please!  
 **Warnings:** Some Language and mature themes  
 **Rating:** NC-17, just to be safe.  
 **Summary:** He never thought that the problem could actually lie with him.  
 **AN:** Dear recipient, I probably did not take it the route you were aiming for (the addition of Draco and subsequent parting of ways) but I hope that this is still acceptable for you. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.  
Beta read by the wonderful Snipsa! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

 

Severus Snape sighed as he heard the scratching on the door. The damn dog was back again, how, he could honestly not say. The last time the dog had showed up at his door, Severus had picked him up, apparated a hundred miles west and left the dog there… That was three days ago and now here he was, scratching at the door again. If he had known the beast was going to be so much trouble he never would have given the sorry looking thing his left over meat.

Opening the door, Severus scowled down at the dog. The animal was as sorry looking as the first time Severus laid eyes on him, filthy and scraggly looking. Severus sighed and opened the door wider, wide enough for the beast to get inside. As the dog passed him, Severus waved his wand and silently cast ‘scourgify’, there was no way that he would let the dog into his home while covered in who knows what!

“You will stay in the kitchen. There is a box for you to sleep in, I will put some blankets in it for warmth and you will have water and food, which is all I can provide.” The dog looked up at him and Severus silently reprimanded himself – as if the animal could actually understand what he was saying!

Severus made his way into the kitchen and conjured two bowls for the dog, filled one with water and made a mental note to buy dog pellets the next time he went to the grocers – which would have to be sooner now, rather than later.

Warding the kitchen, making sure that the animal could not enter any other part of the house, Severus spelled a small hole into the bottom of the backdoor so that the dog could go outside when needed. Luckily the beast was fairly small, a cross between a jackrussel and some other small breed of dog if he had to hazard a guess. His wand was up and conjuring another thing before his mind could really process what he was doing. Scowling down at the collar he held, Severus gave a sharp whistle and the dog came bounding over. He fastened the collar around the dog’s neck and decided that this should be good enough. No need to go and name the thing as well….

Several hours later, Severus emerged from his potion’s lab holding a box filled with vials. His afternoon had proved to be very productive and he now had 48 vials each of fever reducer, dreamless sleep and contracare, which he could sell to the apothecary in Diagon Alley and in Hogsmeade. Ever since the war ended two years ago, Severus had made a living from providing the more difficult to brew potions for hospitals and the potions that were just too much of a hassle for small apothecaries to make themselves. Fever reducer, dreamless sleep and contracare, although easy potions to brew, took too much time for too little profit, thus the apothecaries preferred to outsource them.

The easier to brew potions also usually had the shortest shelf life and because of that, you had to brew them in small quantities, so as not to waste ingredients and profits. By brewing larger quantities, and selling them to more apothecaries, Severus still made a decent enough profit and even though the three most sought after potions in this category was time consuming, Severus usually brewed them all at the same time, thus making everything more than worth it.

Pulling on his robe, Severus spelled the box so that the contents would be secure, no chance of shifting or spilling. Locking up his house, Severus strode down to the edge of his property before swiftly apparating to Diagon Alley. He had no reason to fear unwanted eyes as his house was isolated and in the middle of nowhere with proximity alarms to warn him if anyone entered the area.

The designated spot where people re-appeared in Diagon Alley was big enough that there should be no accidents of splinching but Severus never felt comfortable lingering there and so he exited the area as soon as he arrived.

Severus had barely turned the corner when his precious box flew out of his hands, one moment he had a strong grip on it and the next it had been bumped out of his hold. He might have spelled it so that the vials would not spill or shift while he carried it but to spell each bottle unbreakable would have changed the properties of the potions too much and thus render them sub-standard. With dismay, Severus watched as his hard work literally spilled on the ground.

“You imbecilic cretin!! That is worth more than two month’s groceries!” Severus vented as he straightened his robe and checked to see if any of the potion had spilled on his person – thankfully it had not.

“I am so sorry! I didn’t, I just….” Severus slowly turned to face the person speaking. He already knew who he would see, knew that voice from years past, years spent in equal parts loathing and admiring the boy who had become this man now standing in front of him.

Harry Potter abruptly stopped stuttering as Severus pinned him with his darkest look.

“P.. Professor Snape!!”

Severus kept his glare on Potter for a full 10 seconds before shifting his gaze to his ruined potions. More than half of the vials had either smashed completely or cracked around the edges. He would estimate a guess that one third of the potions were salvageable. 

Potter followed his gaze and his stuttered apologies started anew.

Severus only kept half an ear on the useless apologies, bending down to pick up that which he could save. It was with great surprise that Severus saw Potter kneeling beside him to help. He had been fairly certain that the man would just stand there with his useless apologies before turning the blame back on Severus for not watching where he was going.

They packed the remaining vials back into the box and as Severus sealed them into place, Potter vanished the glass and spilled potion from the ground. It was fortunate indeed that mixing these particular potions did not produce any noxious fumes.

“I really am terribly sorry for bumping into you Professor Snape, if there is any way that I could repay the damage…?” Potter’s voice trailed off into a question and Severus considered the man standing before him.

Severus knew of course that Potter would be able to pay for all the ingredients and then some – what with his inheritance and now the salary he received as an auror – but that would not make up for the days it took Severus to complete these potions. Before he could fully comprehend what he was getting himself into, Severus answered the man: “It took five days to complete these orders. Five days of standing behind three cauldrons with interrupted sleep and headaches. You can join me on Thursday, we will start early the next morning and should be finished by Monday evening – if you manage not to bungle things up we might even finish earlier.” Severus seriously doubted that Potter could get through these five days without messing anything up but it would be worth it to see the man suffer from headaches and sleep deprivation.

He also knew that Potter would have to take time off work in order to help Severus redo these orders which made everything just that much sweeter.

There was a pinched look on Potter’s face but after taking a deep breath the man gave a curt nod.

“You will wait here for me to come and get you, my house is well warded and you will have to be keyed in. After the potions have been restocked and everything is done to my satisfaction, I will return you here and we will hopefully not see each other again for many years.”

Despite what Severus had always claimed, he knew that Potter had moderate intelligence and thus did not spell out the fact that the man would need clothes and other necessities that would last him five days.

“Thursday, 17:00. Do NOT be late Potter!” and with that Severus apparated back to his home, soaked box with its meagre contents in his arms.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Harry Potter pushed the front door of his flat open with his shoulder, his hands filled with the bags containing his groceries. Lifting his right foot behind him, Harry softly kicked the door closed again before moving to his kitchen. Finally putting his burden down, he stretched his fingers and waved his wand at the door, locking it.

“How do I always get myself into these things?” the only answer he received was a squawk from his African Grey followed by a “Whatcha doin?” Harry scowled at the bird. 

“What does it look like I’m doing, feather brain? I’m unpacking my bags.”

There were few sentences that the African Grey had been taught by his previous owners but Harry could not help but answer each time the bird spoke. He guessed it was similar to mothers talking to their infant child, not expecting a reply but feeling the need to fill the silence.

_He had been walking through a local park two months previously when he saw the bird perched in a tree. Knowing that an African Grey is usually kept as a pet, Harry had looked around and even asked a few people if they knew who the bird belonged too. No one claimed ownership however and when Harry left the park, he softly called to the bird but received no acknowledgment. The next week, when Harry once again went to the park for a relaxing stroll, the bird was there again – or perhaps still…? There was no real way to know if the bird had ever left._

_That afternoon, as Harry returned home he was surprised to see the bird heading in his direction. Standing still, Harry braced himself as the African Grey perched itself on his shoulder. Lifting his hand to give it a scratch, Harry received a nip for his effort._

_“Grouchy little thing aren’t’ you?” Harry asked as he started on his way home again._

_It really shouldn’t have surprised him to get a reply, it being a parrot and all, but he nearly stumbled as the bird replied…._

_“Crotchety old fart!!”_

_Harry quickly found his feet and shook his head, wondering just what kind of owners taught the bird such a phrase._

Shaking off the memories, Harry settled himself into a chair and thought back on his encounter with Snape. It had been a year since he last saw the man, having testified at his trial (as well as the Malfoy’s trials) and although the circumstances of their meeting could have been better, Harry could not help but feel excited at re-establishing contact with the man. There had always been something about the man that drew Harry in – not always in a good way yet always there.

He felt really bad about knocking that box from Snape’s hands and the ingredients and time wasted from his clumsiness.

Sighing in defeat, Harry stood from the chair he had plonked himself in and got started on his dinner.

“I am cooking!” came the comment from the bird and Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Thursday came within the blink of an eye, or so it felt for Harry. He had put in the leave forms at the auror headquarters the same day of the incident and had received a confirmation from them the next day. Harry just hoped that the reason behind his sudden little holiday was kept under wraps.

Lifting up his bag, Harry swept his eyes over the place and nodded to himself, everything looked to be in place. The African Grey – whom he had yet to name – had been dropped off by Luna’s place early that morning with promises to pick him up again on Tuesday. With no other dependents to think about, Harry simply had to make sure his place was left presentable and that he had everything he would need for the next five days or so.

Knowing that he could put it off no longer, Harry locked up his place and walked down the pavement before apparating to Diagon Alley where he was to meet Snape.

It was fortunate indeed that Harry was first to arrive as he did not want to start this weekend off on the wrong foot, goodness knows that things were volatile enough between the two of them without adding on to it needlessly.

“Good, you are here. Follow me.” Harry turned around swiftly as he heard the voice and scrambled after the man as he realised that Snape did not even wait for acknowledgment.

They wound their way through the busy alley before abruptly turning down a narrow side street. Harry had barely stopped himself from once again crashing into the man when he felt something thrust into his hands and the jerk behind his naval that signalled a portkey.

_Bastard_

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Severus smirked as he looked down at Potter sprawled on the ground – who knew the man struggled with portkey travel? It shouldn’t have surprised him though, since it was something that most people who grew up in the muggle world or part of the poorer class had trouble with. The more you travelled with portkey, the better your landing got.

Potter got himself back to his feet quickly and as he lifted his bag up again, Severus made his way towards his house. Stopping at the edge of the property, Severus grabbed hold of Potter’s wrist and placed his hand on the gate, Severus’s overlapping the man’s due to the size difference. Muttering under his breath, a pale yellow light engulfed their joined hands and when the light faded, Severus released Potter’s and started up the walkway.

“There are two extra bedrooms, you can pick one for yourself – mine is of course the master suite. I have pork in the oven with roast vegetables, feel free to join me. Tomorrow morning we will start on the potions at 07:00, if you desire breakfast, be sure to eat and clean up after yourself before that time. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes.”

Severus gave Potter one last glance before turning around and heading towards his parlour, wanting to get at least one more chapter done on the book he was currently reading.

He had barely gone five steps when there was a low growl, followed by what sounded like ‘yaaaips’, ‘fuck’, ‘let go!’ and then continuous snarling.

Turning around slowly, Severus took in the sight of Potter standing on top of a chair with the dog clamped down on his pant legs, snarling at the intruder to his home.

“Potter! Get down you idiot. Dog, let go of him, and don’t try to bite him, heavens know what you might catch and I’m not paying any veterinary bills.” Both were slow to comply, eyeing each other wearily.

“Dog, Mr Potter will be staying here for a few days and is not to be harmed. Potter, keep clear of the dog and he will stay clear of you. Now, if there are no more interruptions, I will leave you both to it.”

Potter was glaring now but Severus paid him no mind and stalked out of the room. His book was calling to him.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

After the rather volatile start to their relationship, Harry and the dog quickly became friends. It could have had something to do with the bacon strips Harry pulled from his jacket pocket – having forgotten to put them away the last time he gave his parrot a treat.

Harry was rather surprised at how protective the dog was over Snape but he knew that if an owner treated a dog well, then they were very loyal and protective. He guessed his surprise stemmed from the fact that there was a dog in the first place, never mind that Snape apparently treated him well enough to instil a sense of loyalty.

Dinner was a quiet affair, neither man speaking much except to ask for this or that item to be passed across. Soon, they both retired to bed, knowing that the next day would be a long and arduous one.

Harry woke to soft whining and opened his eyes to see big brown ones peering back at him. It scared him witless for a moment before he remembered where he was and that the dog and he had made peace the previous night.

Getting up with a soft sigh, Harry padded after the dog and finding the one bowl nearly empty, he filled it up with water again. Returning to his room, Harry quickly rummaged through his bag before pulling out his toiletries and clothes for the day.

The shower woke him up completely and Harry checked the time as he dried himself off. 06:30. Just enough time to put something together for breakfast and then clear it up afterwards.

He was somewhat surprised to find Snape sitting at the table with a steaming mug of coffee but gave a soft ‘Good morning’ as he stepped over to the stove.

“Mr Potter.” Came the reply and Harry quickly set about getting his breakfast done. He didn’t ask Snape if he wanted anything, knowing that the man was capable enough to have made himself breakfast if he so desired and assuming that since he was nursing a cup of coffee that Snape was probably one of those people who did not eat so early in the morning.

When they were both finished, Snape led the way to his potions work room and there Harry fell back into a routine he remembered from school. Chop, dice, slice, stir and repeat. Snape would ask him to slice this root, or dice that insect then stir the middle cauldron ten times clockwise, wait ten seconds and then ten times anti-clockwise. The main difference between now and his schooldays was that Snape did not bark his orders or breathe down his neck. Harry had space to do his tasks and the man apparently trusted him enough not to shadow his every move.

By the time Snape called for a thirty minute break, Harry had chopped and diced so many ingredients that his hands were cramping but he refused to complain about it.

They made their way back to the kitchen where Snape quickly put together two mugs of coffee. Harry gave a grateful “Thanks” as he was handed one.

“Today we do the most work because the base potions contains the most ingredients. From here on, we will only need to add an ingredient here and there. Most of the work will be in the stirring, steaming and cooling down before boiling the potion and so on. The fever reducer needs to simmer on a low heat for five hours before we stir it again and check to see if water is needed. The dreamless sleep will need to be stirred every hour, on the hour for the rest of the weekend…” Severus smirked as he saw Potter’s eyes widen at that.

“Yes, the dreamless sleep is a new variation that a potions master from Italy perfected last year, it helps the patient to sleep for up to eight hours where the one you learned at Hogwarts only lasted for five hours.”

The question that had been on the tip of Potter’s tongue was swallowed back and he nodded his understanding.

“The contracare potion needs the most ingredients still but they are spaced fairly wide apart. For now, we need only check that there is sufficient water during the night.”

This is how the weekend progressed and by the time Monday rolled around, Harry found himself very surprised to feel sorrow at the thought of never seeing Snape again – or at least not seeing him for years. This change in his usual routine had helped him relax and he found the time spent with Snape to be very rewarding.

“Can I… Umm… Is is alright….”

“Spit it out Potter!”

“Erm… How often do you make these specific potions? Can I help next time?”

Severus had to work very hard at keeping his expression neutral. This was a much unexpected but not unwelcome surprise.

“Every month Potter. I will start on the next batch on the last Thursday of July. If you really wish to assist again, send me an owl that Monday and I will collect you from Diagon Alley on the Thursday.”

“Yes sir. Expect my owl and I will see you again at the end of the month.”

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

“Rex! Down boy!” Harry laughed as the excitable dog jumped against him. He may be on the short side but even he could stand firm against such a small dog. Bending down, Harry gave the dog a good scratch behind his ear before standing up and making his way to the house.

Severus stood waiting in the doorway and greeted Harry with a fairly warm “Welcome Potter.”

The smile on Harry’s face widened as he returned the greeting with a chipper, “Thanks Severus, hope everything is well?” There was a slight twitching of the eye as he said the man’s name but Harry could see by the upturn of the lips that it was because of the suppressed smile.

“Well enough, thank you. A slight change in the usual routine though, we’ll be making a batch of Pepper-Up as well this weekend.”

Harry accepted this without comment and quickly made his way over to the kettle. It had been five months since his first time helping Severus with the potions and although he usually only stayed until the Sunday evening – not wanting to take off from work the Friday and Monday that he helped out – their time spent together was precious to Harry.

Severus and he had come to a mutual understanding and the past was left where it belonged. The potions they made took a whole weekend to complete yes, but after the base of the potion was done, they usually had a lot of time on their hands which was spent in companionable silence. Severus would often be found with a book – usually a muggle thriller – and Harry had to endure snide comments about dim-witted heroes or idiotic villains the whole weekend long.

Harry on the other hand kept himself busy with various things, playing with Rex (whom he had named after pestering Severus about calling him ‘dog’ the whole time his second weekend there – he knew he was a hypocrite though, still not having named his African Grey), browsing Severus’s book collection – he usually only looked at the pictures - or making their dinner. He still joined Severus in the kitchen every morning but where the man would nurse his cup of coffee, Harry would prepare himself something to eat.

“Draco will be joining us tomorrow evening so the extra potion should not pose any problems for us.” Harry had just passed a cup of tea to Severus and paused on his way to his own seat. This was quite unexpected. Never before had their routine been interrupted and Harry did not know how he felt about this new development.

The silence stretched on uncomfortably between them but Harry honestly did not know how to break it.

That night, for the first time in five months, Harry went to bed with dark thoughts clouding his mind. It was October 31st, a day that Harry had always loathed and receiving this unexpected news on this specific evening did not bode well for him.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

“Diced Potter! Diced, not shredded.” Severus snarled as Harry handed the ingredients over. A frown creased his brow at Severus’s tone but Harry dutifully took the bowl back and diced a new set of flobber worms. There was something about having another person there, brewing with them, which changed their whole dynamic; their attitudes to be honest. _It must be a Slytherin thing_ , Harry thinks as he cast a sideway glance at a smirking Draco.

The three days that Draco spent brewing with them almost made Harry change his mind about coming again the following month but he bit his tongue and worked on in silence.

Mercifully, Draco left early Sunday afternoon, stating that his parents had a long standing rule about having Sunday lunch together as a family. It was something that struck Harry right where it hurt the most – having always desired a family - but he kept his face impassive and wished him a safe trip home.

Like a switch had been turned off, Severus went back to his usual countenance and the silence that descended while they had a quick snack and some tea was warm and comfortable. Harry was honestly baffled at how quickly everything could change from tense and uncomfortable to relaxed and peaceful. He just hoped that the addition of Draco did not become a permanent fixture. 

It was a hope that did not bare any fruit.

Draco joined them the next month, and the following one and the one after that as well. Every single time, Severus would return to his short, snappy instructions and Harry would bite his lip, bite his tongue and endure the treatment. Draco himself actually made an effort to be cordial to Harry and would even from time to time help him with his various tasks, even going so far as to correct Harry’s grip on his knife while slicing to improve in consistency and quality.

Harry could not help but loathe the man as much as what he appreciated his help. If not for Draco, the time spent with Severus would be wonderful, relaxing and just what Harry craved deep inside. But no, for some reason or another, Draco’s presence meant that Severus closed off his emotions and built up a wall around himself that no metaphorical axe could penetrate.

Harry absolutely hated it.

It was not even a case of Severus treating Draco better than Harry, or making snide insults to stupid Gryffindors, no, he just closed himself off completely and if either of them did anything wrong, they felt his wrath.

“Next month we will again have a change in the normal routine as Slug and Jiggers has requested two cases of lubricant.” Harry could feel his face heat up unexpectedly but Severus did not comment on it – Harry was just grateful that Draco had already returned home.

“I will ask Draco to join us again as this will keep one of us occupied for at least the whole of Friday and most of Saturday. With the increase in orders over the past few months, mostly thanks to the fact that we can produce twice the amount that I used to do on my own, we need an extra hand.”

“Does it ha….” Harry abruptly snapped his mouth closed, not believing that he had actually started to object out loud.

Severus raised an eyebrow at him and Harry frowned in return, taking a deep breath before starting again.

“Do you have to ask him? And if you do, do you really need to change into a bastard when he’s here?”

There was a storm brewing in Severus’s face and Harry thought that he might have bitten off more than he could chew this time.

“If you cannot handle the pressure then feel free to leave. I will not change who or what I am to suit your needs Mr Potter, nor will I stroke your over inflated ego. I need Draco here and I will not have you tell me what I can and cannot do in my own home. The door is behind you, good day Mr Potter.”

Harry felt as if he had been slapped across the face. Straightening up, he turned around to pull his coat off the back of his seat and made his way to the door.

“It is not that I want to change you Severus, you are the one who changes whenever he is around. Did you honestly not realise that your guard comes up the moment he enters your home? Every Sunday after he leaves, you relax and things return to the way they were those first five months we brewed together. Thank you for allowing me this time, thank you for trusting me not to blow up your home and for the time we could spent together. I hope this new arrangement works out for you Severus.”

The door had barely closed behind him when he felt a wet nose nudge his hand. Rex was standing next to him and whined softly as Harry laid a trembling hand on his head.

“Bye Rex.” The whisper barely escaped his lips, what with Harry trying his best not to give into his tears. The walk to the edge of the property felt a lifetime too long but when Harry finally reached it, he was startled to find Rex right there with him, a part of his jacket held firmly in the dog’s mouth. It was clear as day that the dog meant for him to take him along.

With a shaky smile Harry bent down to grab a firm hold of Rex and with a last look at the house, Harry apparated home.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

The last weekend of the month came and went in dour silence. Severus and Draco worked as quickly and efficiently as they could but with the increase in orders and one person down this month, it took them until the early hours of Tuesday morning to finish packaging and labelling each product.

Draco had enquired about Potter’s sudden absence – only natural as Potter had been there even before Draco joined them – but with a scorching glare from Severus, he let the matter drop.

It took two more months of silent brewing, tense atmosphere and high strung tempers for Severus to realise that there was truth behind Potter’s last words. When Potter had first joined him, Severus had been aiming at making the man miserable for that one weekend – which had backfired spectacularly as they had both actually enjoyed their time spent together – and when Potter requested to return the following month, Severus had opened the door to both his home and heart to the man. They had never ventured into a romantic relationship, no, but Severus knew that they easily could have.

Potter was a Gryffindor and someone that Severus had kept a close eye on since he first stepped into Hogwarts. The natural defences that every Slytherin learned to put up was not something that they could easily forget. Interacting with people who did not hail from Slytherin house was different, they never learned the same defences and did not know to look for weaknesses but when faced with each other, Slytherins automatically brought their shields up. Potter had been a welcome change to Severus’s usual acquaintances.

Apologising was not something Severus had any experience in and composing a letter to Potter that amounted to at least a decent attempt took two whole weeks before Severus gave it up as a lost cause. In the end, Severus composed a short missive where he conveyed his wish to meet Potter at ‘The Bean express’ – a newly established coffee shop in Diagon Alley, 19:00 Monday evening coming.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Harry gave the owl a treat and removed the letter that was tied to his leg. Rex, lying on the floor next to him, gave the letter a curious sniff before he suddenly stood up and started growling. That really should have clued Harry in on the sender but he was still very surprised when he opened the letter and looked at the signature to find it was from Severus – actually signed as Severus and not ‘Snape’ – something which surprised him almost as much as the letter itself.

The ‘Harry’ at the start of the letter caused him great concern – had Severus been cursed or something? Never, not once that they had spent brewing together one weekend every month for eight months had the man called him Harry, it was always ‘Potter’.

After reading the short note, Harry contemplated saying no for all of two seconds but then his desire to see the man again (and to make sure he hadn’t been cursed) took precedence and he scrambled to find a quill or pen or anything to write back. He had already forgiven the man his harsh words, knowing deep down that it was something ingrained and not easily overcome but his pride had kept him away for the past three months. He would not go begging back to the man.

The three months since he had last seen the man had been spent reflecting on their time together. Harry had come to the startling realisation that he had fallen, and fallen hard, for one Severus Snape.

Sending the owl off with his confirmation, Harry turned to Rex and said softly “We might have a chance to go home boy” not even realising that he referred to Severus’s house as home.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

As apologies goes, Harry did not think he could have expected anything better from Severus. He was actually fairly impressed. The actual words ‘I’m sorry’, did not leave the man’s lips but the dinner he organised along with the wine afterwards went a long way in mellowing him out. The fact that Severus acted like the man Harry had gotten to know during the first five months of brewing together made up for the rest.

Harry agreed to help again with the next batch of potions and when the weekend arrived he could see that Severus made a concerted effort in toning down his defensive behaviour. Sometimes he would build that wall up again but a scowl from Harry would make him pause – not in anger as before but in consideration.

Some months Draco could not join them and as selfish as it was, Harry preferred those times. The first time Severus stepped up right behind him and leant in to adjust his grip on the stirrer, Harry felt his face heat up and for a moment stopped breathing.

There were small touches here, a brush of a shoulder there but before Harry could completely loose his mind, Severus took it one step further. It was a Friday night at the end of June, Severus had called for a break and lead Harry into the kitchen. When they entered, Harry stopped in the doorway in shock. There was a table set up in the middle of the kitchen, candles burning bright and a single rose in a vase. Earlier that day Severus had excused himself from the brewing, stating some letter or other that needed a response, Harry was now fairly certain that no such letter existed.

With his heart in his throat, Harry took the seat that Severus pulled out for him, knowing that with this silent acceptance from him, their relationship had changed completely. He did not realise until Severus pointed it out to him that it was one year exactly since he started helping out with the brewing.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Harry writhed and twisted as the feather skated over his naked torso. His hands were tied to the headboard and his legs pinned down by Severus. The month since their first date had been filled with light touches and passionate kisses. Harry came over every weekend just to spend time with Severus but tonight was the first time that they were taking things further. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that Severus knew it was his birthday – even if he hadn’t said anything during the day.

Their usual brewing weekend had been rescheduled to the following week and since Friday Severus had been more attentive than usual, doing little things that would grate on Harry if it had been anyone else. He knew that if Severus made a habit out of this it would start to irritate him but thought it more likely that the man was only being extra conscientious because of the date.

“Ouch!” Harry exclaimed as Severus bit down on a nipple.

“That’s better. Wouldn’t want your attention on anything else, now would we?” was Severus’s reply before he went back to torturing Harry with the feather and his tongue.

“Oh god, oh fuck.” Gripping the headboard with all his might, Harry could only moan and swear as Severus took his whole length in his mouth.

“Hmmmm,” Harry arched up as Severus hummed around his thick shaft but with a lick to the tip, Severus moved back up to Harry’s nipples.

“I’m going to lick and such every inch of your body and if you get close to the edge, I’ll pull you back and do it all over again until the only thought in your mind is of the pleasure and pain I give you.”

Harry moaned as Severus stroked him firmly while explaining exactly what he was going to do.

“You will be begging me for more and while I will give you more, it will not be what you really want, what you really need.” Harry arched his back as a nipple was twisted.

“Oh Merlin please. Please, Severus!”

Harry found the breath sucked out of him by Severus’s mouth as the man expertly shut him up.

Much later, when Harry heard a hoarse voice order “Come for me”, he could do nothing else but arch into that expert hand that was milking him clean. Tired and satisfied, Harry fell into an exhausted dose.

“Oh no you don’t. Did you really think I was finished Harry? Your birthday only ends in another two hours and I plan to have you screaming my name before that time is up.”

Harry gave a slight whimper as Severus teased a nipple but the thought that Severus really had remembered his birthday and planned this whole weekend around it brought a slight smile to his face.

His last coherent thought was that he should probably have told Severus he was a virgin.

 

**End**


End file.
